by Linda Wells
“Mrs. Reynolds, please do not apologize. I appreciate how protective you feel about my husband and sister. He thinks very fondly of you.” The older woman practically glowed with the praise. “I have been trying to piece together the information I have received from so many different sources … Mr. Wickham was favoured by Mr. Darcy? He once told me that Mr. Darcy wished that he was his son and would leave him Pemberley because he hated my husband. Did you ever see any evidence of that?”
Her eyes grew wide and indignant. “I remember that boy, strutting about as if he was the heir, belting out orders to the servants, giving himself airs. We knew what he was, and paid him no heed. He shut up quick enough when his patron was about. He was always polite when the young master was with his father too, but when they were alone …” She shook her head. “Sometimes I thought Master Fitzwilliam was just too much a gentleman. I would not have minded seeing him knock that wastrel down!”
“Well, I am happy to tell you that he did, but that is between us.” Elizabeth smiled.
Mrs. Reynolds’ eyes grew wide and she grinned. “Really?” She smiled with pride.
Watching her carefully, Elizabeth asked. “How did Mr. Darcy’s parents treat him?”
The woman’s eyes filled with tears. “Please do not ask me of those times, madam. I am grateful they are in the past.” Elizabeth nodded and wondered what had happened, but seeing how the mere mention of it distressed Mrs. Reynolds, she more than ever understood her husband’s lapses into silence and his need for her embrace.
Wiping her eyes, Mrs. Reynolds resumed her formal address. “Is there anything else, Mrs. Darcy? Will you need a seamstress to make any alterations to your new gowns?”
She smiled ruefully. “Mrs. Reynolds, I am at last appreciating the skill of an excellent modiste. I can honestly say that not a stitch must be added to any of the beautiful things Mr. Darcy insisted we order when we were in London. I have no idea how those women even completed so many items, it must have taken up every moment of their time.”
“I am pleased to hear it, Mrs. Darcy. Is there anything else that we need to discuss?”
“Oh, the tenants, does Mr. Darcy give them anything for Christmas?”
“Yes, madam, he wrote to me of the baskets in October. We have been putting them together. They are all laid out in the ballroom. Each household will receive some fruit and biscuits, socks for the children, some good wool yarn for the women and a purse for the men. Mr. Darcy likes to deliver them on Christmas Eve.”
“He goes himself?” Elizabeth was pleased to hear of his participation.
“Oh yes, ever since his father died, he makes a point of doing this. The tenants were always appreciated.”
“He shall have company this year.” The women smiled at each other. “And has he thought of gifts for the Pemberley and Darcy House staff?”
“Yes, that has been addressed.”
“That leaves the decorations. I suppose that we must start some new traditions there as well. Please ask the men to cut greenery for the doorways, and to find a Yule log. My father is bringing the end of our log from last year. Is there any hope of making a kissing bough?” She raised her brow.
Mrs. Reynolds laughed. “Ah, yes indeed, I am sure that we will be successful in that!”
“Good, Mr. Darcy and I will have to inspect it thoroughly.” She winked and stood.
“Mrs. Darcy?” Elizabeth paused as she was about to leave the room. “Thank you. The servants here at Pemberley are delighted to help you in any way.”
“Thank you Mrs. Reynolds, I am entirely lost without all of you.” She smiled and walked out the door and up the stairs to the first floor. After three weeks in residence, she had a fairly good feel for her way about the house. I suppose all of those years wandering the forests have honed my wayfinding skills! She looked towards William’s closed study door. He had been sequestered there with Mr. Barkley, his steward, for hours, as he had been nearly every day that past week. His long absence from the estate left many issues to review and resolve, and being the man he was; William could no longer neglect his duty. She used the time to learn her own duties, and Mrs. Reynolds was gradually introducing her to each one. Knowing that William would be hoping for her to come and keep him company after his steward was dismissed, she glanced at a clock and decided that she had time to complete one more task before joining him.
She continued up to the deserted guest wing, and began opening doors, looking over the bedchambers. The Matlocks all had assigned places and would simply stay where they always did. Richard’s presence would disrupt Bingley’s preferred place, and Elizabeth was toying with the idea of choosing a room for him that was conveniently close to Jane’s. She bit her lip and giggled as she stood just inside the doorway of a lovely room, calculating how long it would take her future brother to sneak across the hallway, when she felt two hands steal around her waist and heard a deep voice in her ear.
“What are you plotting, Mrs. Darcy?” Warm lips began nibbling her lobe.
“You finished early!” She smiled and tilted her head upwards. “Mmmm, that is so nice.”
His chuckle rumbled and his embrace tightened, drawing her back against him. “I am happy to bring you pleasure; my love. Now, you have not answered my question.” He nibbled down her neck to her shoulders, and began lightly caressing circles around her rapidly hardening nipples. Elizabeth wiggled back against him and felt an insistent pressure against her back.
“I … I was just wondering … .ohhhhh … how convenient it would be … oh, Will, please …”
Darcy’s hand continued its slow torture of her breasts, while the other drifted down to stroke over her centre. “Convenient?” He whispered huskily.
“For Jane and Charles …”
“You are encouraging them paying calls during the night?” His tongue found its way back up to her ear.
Elizabeth’s back arched and her writhing was exciting him in dramatic ways. “It … ohhh … it did us no harm … did it?” Her voice died away and he turned her around to bestow a slow, loving kiss. She clung to him and he cupped her bottom, pressing her tightly against his groin.
“No my love, the only harm it did was to make me mad with wanting you.” He spoke against her lips. “Lizzy, is it over, may I love you again?”
She smiled; it had been a difficult week for her passionate husband. “Yes, Will. You no longer have to wait.”
“I have no patience for waiting.” He kicked the door shut and scooped her up to drop her, bouncing slightly, on the bed. Elizabeth laughed and met the intense eyes that were staring at her with unhidden desire. Darcy tore off his coat and cravat, and dropped his hands to unbutton his breeches.
Watching his fevered movements, Elizabeth asked innocently, “Should we not undress, Will?”
Shaking his head vehemently, he advanced to stand at the edge of the bed. “I want you now, Lizzy.”
“In the middle of the day?” She teased; rising up on her knees to wrap her arms around him, and began kissing his wonderfully exposed neck.
Darcy’s eyes closed and he groaned, running his hands over her back. “Soon this house will be full of people, and with the weather, who knows how long they may remain. I have been denied my wife for the past week, I want you now.” His lips found hers and they met in a voracious kiss.
“I think that you missed me.” She whispered in his ear, then reaching down, firmly caressed his exposed arousal, and bent to tenderly suckle the tip. Darcy gasped. Elizabeth straightened and looked at him with worry. “Did I do something wrong?”
“NO!” He began tearing off his waistcoat and shirt, and paused long enough to look at her. “What are you waiting for?” He demanded. Elizabeth laughed and unbuttoned her gown, deliberately removing her clothes, while she watched him struggle out of his.
“If you would slow down …” She began and watched as a boot sailed across the room. He hopped on one foot and tore off the other, then quickly stripped off his breeches and drawers.
Elizabeth bit her lip and neatly folded her gown, then slipped off her shoes and stockings. All that remained was her chemise and stays. Suddenly she found that two shaking hands were untying the ribbons and she watched as the remaining items fell to her feet. His fingers travelled through her hair, and a cascade of pins hit the floor, followed by the curtain of her hair dropping down to a swaying halt around her shoulders. She looked up at her husband’s burning gaze and ran her hands over his expansive chest. “Now, what was it that you wished for, Will?”
With a squeal she found herself in the air and dropped back onto the bed. Darcy dove on top of her and pinned her down. “You are teasing me cruelly, my love.” His nose was touching hers.
“Forgive me; you are simply irresistible when you are amorous.” She pulled his face down and kissed him, drawing the upper lip into her mouth, and delighting in his low moans. “How may I win back your favour?”
“Turn over,” he whispered. He lifted up from her and she rolled onto her belly. Darcy gathered her long hair up and pushed it aside, then beginning with her ear, slowly kissed his way down over her shoulders, tracing his tongue down her back, caressing her silky skin and gently nibbling her delightfully soft rump. “You could not possibly lose my favour.” He murmured as his hands spread her legs apart and he looked hungrily at her treasure, wet and ripe for his embrace. “Oh, Lizzy…” He lay down on her back, and reached below, touching her, spreading her essence over himself, and slowly entered. “Ohhhhhhhhhh.” They both moaned. “Does it feel good, dearest?”
“Oh, yes.” She moaned.
He nuzzled his face against her neck and bit her shoulder. One hand caressed over her back, down to her hips, and returned as the other arm wrapped around her waist, holding her against his steadily moving body. His hips travelled in an endless circle as he ground into her. It was a quiet, impassioned coupling. They were both soon lost in the bliss, the only sound was their erratic breathing, and then Elizabeth’s soft, “Will.” He felt her arching back, and gasping, he allowed his release to rush over him, “Oh, Lizzybeth.” He groaned.
Luxuriating in the wonderful fatigue, Darcy could not even consider moving from her, and instead drew her closer to his chest, curling around her, and caressed the place where he felt their bodies still joined. He closed his eyes and nestled his face on her shoulder. “I missed loving you so much, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth’s hand lowered to touch where his lay, and feeling his softening flesh, entwined her fingers with his. “I missed you as well.”
“Now that I know what it is to be one with you, it seems that I can not bear to separate for too long.” He gently kissed her neck.
“You were dreaming of this?” She felt his head nod. “Did I neglect you this week? I …”
“Stop that.” He kissed her. “Of course not, I … oh Lizzy, I am simply a man who deeply appreciates his wife. This week I buried myself in work, hoping to distract my mind from you, and failed terribly.”
“Do you mean that you really did not have to meet with your steward?” She looked at him with surprise.
“No, I did, I just …” He sighed. “I no longer want to spend all of my time engaged in work. I have used work as an excuse to … avoid living, avoid people. I have you now, and I want to experience so much that I have neglected before.”
“This can not all be about lovemaking.” She rolled over and caressed his face.
He chuckled. “No dearest, it is not, but I can not deny the attraction.” Elizabeth laughed as well. Darcy pulled the edge of the counterpane up to drape over them. It was suddenly very cold in the unheated room. He wrapped her up in his arms, and kissed her hair, tucking her head under his chin. “Most of the gentlemen I know leave the management of their estates to their stewards, and only concern themselves with being sure that the rents are collected.”
“As my father does.” She said softly.
“Yes, but at least he is aware of what crops are planted.” He looked down at her closed eyes and gave her a squeeze. “I can not consciously remain idle, not when I am aware of how intrinsically the land is tied to my heritage. Not to pay attention to it; or its improvement, is entirely against everything that I believe … but now …”
“You must find a balance that was unnecessary before.” She looked back up into his intense blue eyes. “As much as I love you Will, I know that we can not be together all of the time. I understand that, and certainly do not question your need to work, if anything I admire it.” Smiling she kissed his lips, then touched them. “Besides, if you were always by my side, you would grow tired of me and wish me away.”
“Impossible.”
Laughing she kissed his nose. “You must also make time for the activities that you enjoy, your fencing and riding, for example. After all, I enjoy looking over my handsome husband and wish him to remain that way.” She ran her hands over his tightly muscled body and he sighed with her touch.
He then looked at her with concern. “I want you to be happy, and not waiting for me.”
“I think that an enormous house full of servants will keep me occupied, and I can walk to remain healthy for you, I do have quite the spectacular park to explore, and of course there is Georgiana to look after as well.”
“That all sounds well and good, but I need my time with you, and not just keeping company while I work. I need to be alone with you. I need to finally live.” He met her with his earnest gaze. “I have no desire to be parted from you for endless hours. I want you to share this with me. This is why I married, I need you.”
“This is the result of loving your wife, you know. Those who marry for convenience do not face these problems.” She smiled and his gaze did not relent.
“I am serious, Elizabeth.” He held her face in his hands. “Help me. This week you were unable to … be with me as we had been, and without that temptation I thought that I would try to return to my work and see what sort of a life it would be, and I … I did not like it. What I told you the day we arrived here was the truth. I did not marry to be separate from you.”
Elizabeth stared into his searching eyes and stroked his hair while she thought. “Perhaps if we establish working hours, you could attend to business in the morning, and depending on the season and your activity we could meet for breakfast, perhaps leave your paperwork for the afternoon when I could keep you company after addressing my duties for the house in the morning? Then from dinner time on we will be a family?”
He nodded slowly. “I think that might work.” He looked at her sharply. “It will not be set in stone. We must leave room for spontaneity.”
“Oh yes, by all means!” She smiled and kissed him, and a sparkle came to her eyes, wondering if he had ever allowed himself to behave with such freedom before. “I think that we will be spontaneous more often than not.”
Darcy relaxed. “Forgive me, Lizzy. This has occupied so much of my thought this week. I want to make you happy, and I want to be happy, and … I suppose that until we arrived here and, well I was forced to see all that needed to be addressed, that I …”
“The honeymoon has ended.” She said sadly.
“No, I do not ever want it to end, it will not end.” He said with determination, and saw her expression. “Dearest, oh what have I done? I should never have spoken of this!” He hugged her fiercely. “I am so sorry!”
“Will, I … please stop.” She squeezed him. “This is new for both of us. Now that we are … not over our honeymoon, but perhaps … ready to … begin our true marriage, we will just have to talk to each other and … make our plans accordingly for each day.” She saw his worried expression, and decided it was time to lighten the mood. “Have you noticed that we seem to have our most serious conversations when we are lying together in bed or holding each other?”
Darcy’s little smile appeared. “I have, and I truly love this.” Squeezing her he whispered. “I think that all of our conversations should take place in such a manner.” She laughed and his smile grew. “I love you, Elizab
eth.”
“I love you, William.” They kissed slowly and entwined their limbs in a tight embrace. Elizabeth bit her lip and decided to broach a new subject. “Will, you have never wished to lay behind me before; is this something that you have thought about? We sleep that way, is that what inspired you? I was just curious…”
Darcy lifted his head, “Sweetheart, were you uncomfortable? There are many ways to make love.”
She looked away from him. “No, I was not uncomfortable, far from it … I am not completely unfamiliar, at least I think that I am not quite as unfamiliar as I thought I was before we married, but we have only been married a few weeks, I mean, I think that …”
Turning her head towards him, Darcy caressed her face and gave her a confused smile. “Lizzy, what are you trying not to say?”
“I … Do you remember when I said that I looked into my father’s locked drawer and saw his books?” She blushed and looked down again.
“Yes.” He continued his caress, and delighted in the feel of her increasingly warm cheek under his fingers. He suddenly had an idea of what his once innocent bride saw but did not understand until their wedding night. “Dearest, did your father have engravings showing couples engaged in acts of love?” He felt her face grow warmer and she nodded, still not looking at him. He bit his lip but could not restrain his laugh.
Elizabeth looked up sharply. “I amuse you?”
“Yes, you do. I can just see you now, engaged in your clandestine peeking, and wondering just what you were seeing.” He hugged her, and wondered if Mr. Bennet had a copy of the scandalous book by Fanny Hill as his father did. “Did you see a picture that resembled what we just experienced?”
“I did, I … I did not realize at the time that … Will you said that there are many ways to love each other?”
He smiled and nodded, and saw a shadow cross her face. “And before you wonder, I truly have not experienced many, Lizzy. I truly have not, but my father collected a great number of books and engravings that I suspect are similar in nature to your father’s, and as I did know what I was viewing, and I have a very fertile imagination, well, I have often envisioned us in such positions.” Elizabeth’s gaze was fixed on his warm eyes. “Perhaps you would like to look at the drawings with me, and we might find something that you would enjoy?” He smiled at her wide eyes and traced his finger over her mouth. “I wonder if your desire to taste me was inspired by such a drawing.” He raised his brow and watched her guilty smile appear. He whispered, “I enjoyed that very much.” The smile on her face grew and he laughed, then kissed her. “That settles it. Tonight after we bid Georgiana goodnight, we shall enjoy an evening of education.”